Recent Findings Discover a Lack of Quality Assurance in Software Development

Posted: 14 Sep 2017

Comtrade Digital Services, quality assurance specialists, have recently commented that there is little emphasis on software testing and quality assurance within a number of medium-to-large sized companies based in Ireland. Within the survey conducted by the company, it was found that only 20% of managers bring in Software Testers or Quality Assurance Specialists once the first dummy is created.

So, what is quality assurance and why is it so important?

Quality assurance refers to the methodical set of activities that guarantee the processes of software development and the resulting products meet the requirements and standards expected. Like any complex development process, software development has a long list of potential risks, from simple technical faults to the overall user experience and the subsequent response from users. Implementing quality assurance into the production and release processes allows for such risks to be diminished or removed, and the risks of not having a quality assurance department within a company are far too high, particularly for businesses trying to compete with bigger competitors.

The study’s findings conclude that within the highly competitive market, many businesses are focusing on the race to release new, innovative products before their competitors without pausing to consider the risks of producing and releasing substandard products. This is a highly concerning thought when companies of mid-level size need, more than ever, to retain their customers. In astonishing findings released by the Comtrade Digital Services, 43% of Irish companies that specialise in software development do not have a quality assurance team or even a specialist in-house, which is a surprising statistic considering the cost implications of fixing software issues further down the production line. Implementing quality assurance within the software development process is not only cost-effective for businesses in the long-run, but the expertise of those within QA jobs can help to predict human behaviour and potential flaws within software products before it goes to market, and potentially results in damage to the brand’s reputation.

According to the Director of Quality Assurance at Comtrade Digital Services, Nikola Šopar, being the first to release innovative products onto the market will mean nothing if they are not of the highest quality.

Talking about the importance of quality assurance in software development, Šopar stated: “Launching new platforms isn’t enough: they must be issue-free and easy to use, or businesses risk losing customers within a matter of seconds.”

With the lack of quality assurance such a concerning area in software development in Ireland, the Business Director of Comtrade Digital Services, Dejan Cusic, is extending a chance for local businesses to educate themselves regarding quality assurance at their organised conference ‘Quest for Quality’ in October.

The conference is set to be held at the Marker Hotel in Dublin from the 4th to the 5th October 2017, with workshops, talks and panel discussions available for those that join. The conference is expected to gather more than 100 software testing professionals from both Ireland and abroad.

Commenting on the conference, Cusic said: “We want to show that when approached correctly, carefully thought-out digital platforms can become a key differentiator between one business and the next – and the difference between success and failure.”

As small to mid-level Irish businesses within the sector learn the importance of quality assurance, we can predict that jobs within quality assurance in Ireland will further increase in demand.

If you have stumbled across this post and have qualifications and skills in quality assurance, why not take a look at the QA jobs in Ireland that we have available? Additionally, leave your details with us, and we will be able to inform you of any job roles we receive that would be perfect for you.